1. Field of the Invention
The invention is related to faucets including pull out sprayers for spraying a wide area at angles, particularly with respect to such pull-out spraying faucets that are used for kitchen sink use.
2. Description of Related Art
It is known in the art to use diverter valves and mechanisms to switch a faucet sprayer from regular, aerated water flow to a spray-head spray. Such diverters come in various configurations including a pull-down diverter mechanism, wherein the user pulls downward on the diverter mechanism at the end of a faucet to create a spray or “shower” effect.
Kitchen faucets typically have a direct aerated water flow. Water enters kitchen faucets through a copper inlet tube or flexible hose, which generally has a metallic connector linking into the body of the faucet for delivering water flow to the portion of the faucet body having the faucet outlet. In some cases, the water outlet hose from the hot and cold mixer is split below the body and base plate of the faucet to provide a divided and separate hose and direction of flow, generally including a diverter mechanism to allow a side stream of water to enter a hand-held sprayer mechanism separate and apart from the faucet body. Many such hand-held sprayers are located on one side of the faucet assembly with a separate opening in the sink base outside of the faucet base plate. When the handle of the hand-held sprayer is actuated, it operates a diverter mechanism that diverts flow from the portion of the hose directing water to the faucet body to the hand-held sprayer portion and away from the direct faucet stream.
More recently, an improvement was developed to avoid use of significant additional parts below the surface of the sink or use of a divided and separate hose section, by making the faucet body itself capable of performing the spray function as well by virtue of a multi-part combination spray-head and faucet assembly, wherein a sprayer handle portion of the faucet is detachable from the body of the faucet. This allows for a hand-held sprayer portion to detach from the faucet body and be separated therefrom by a flexible hose that runs through the faucet body and attaches at the faucet-facing end of the hand-held sprayer portion. The hose is typically connected via a reinforced metallic coupling nut/threaded connection to the rear (or faucet-body facing end) of the detachable hand held sprayer. Thus, when the hand-held sprayer portion is pulled outwardly from the faucet, the hose pulls up through and out of the faucet body with the sprayer, and water then flows through the faucet body within the extended hose and coupling nut connection into the hand-held sprayer and outwardly through a reinforced interior of the hand-held sprayer to a diverter mechanism, if any. Use of such diverters for switching from a shower spray to a direct aerated spray are generally operated by push button mechanisms located on the top portion of the hand-held sprayer, by a diverter switch or diverter handle.
Such faucets, while useful over prior art faucets having wholly separate spray functions, so as to become multifunctional and compact regarding the space required for use, still typically require many working parts, and have reasonably high manufacturing costs for forming a reinforced hand-held sprayer portion as well as for preparing various required metallic connectors and internal pieces. In addition, many of the push-button and switch mechanisms for existing hand-held sprayers fail over time and/or do not work smoothly. In many cases, they are positioned, such that while the user is holding the nozzle head, it is easy to put pressure inadvertently on the diverter actuator and shut off the shower sprayer while in use.
Accordingly, there is a need in the art for improved combination faucet assemblies that provide diverse features using less space, particularly for kitchen faucets, while providing a compact, detachable configuration and hand-held sprayer, and easy actuation of the shower spray to aeration diverter function, but which are also inexpensive to manufacture and are also durable and reliable.